Gay Man Attacked On New York Subway, As Hate Crimes Rise In City

A gay man was viciously attacked on a New York subway Thursday by a stranger because of his sexual orientation.

The unnamed victim, 29, was on his way from Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn to Manhattan when he was accosted on the C Train. The assailant, who was not apprehended, punched and spit on the man as he shouted homophobic slurs.

The NYPD says there has been an increase in bias crimes reported in 2017—128 so far this year, as compared to just 62 in 2016.

The number of anti-gay hate crimes has peaked as well: 17 so far in 2017, compared to 15 last year.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of increased incidents of violence and attacks,”Emma Shakarshy, who works with homeless LGBT youth, told CBS. “Men can often feel really threatened by the presence of men who are not masculine, because it threatens their own masculinity.”